Tim Burton was once one of the most original writer/directors in Hollywood. I don’t believe that can still be said of him, at least not at this moment. As a growing film lover, I used to really look forward to his films. This is because he made some truly original work and didn’t conform to what other filmmakers were doing. But as Hollywood has been re-hashing old ideas over and over for the last few years, Tim Burton has likewise been doing the same. One would think he would maintain his originality and make unique movies that stand out amongst todays retreads.
I suppose his films still have a unique look to them, but I wish he would come up with unique scripts like he used to. Movies like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice were unlike anything else from that time. Edward Scissorhands is one of the last great fairy tale films. Beetlejuice is one of the most bizarre movies ever made, yet it’s bizarre in a good way that’s hard to take your eyes off. I also prefer Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns over most other comic-book films such as Spiderman and Superman. Even Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Burton’s first full-length feature to hit theatres, was a fun escape from other movies at the time.
For the last decade, however, Tim Burton has given us films like Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, and the excruciating Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He took old ideas and thought he could put an interesting spin on them but he didn’t. He doesn’t even seem comfortable working with any other actors besides Johnny Depp. I know people seem to love everything Depp is in, but his take on Willy Wonka felt like a bad Michael Jackson impression. Their last collaboration, Sweeney Todd, had me struggling to stay awake just as Sleepy Hollow did.
Now they’re finishing up Alice in Wonderland (heard of that one before?). Johnny Depp plays The Mad Hatter; Burton has him looking like a deranged woman with tons of make-up on. Nifty. I just hope there’s some sort of original spin to the story or it’s shot in a truly captivating way. Burton also has his wife, Helena Bonham Carter, playing a major role. She’s another one he feels the need to put in all of his movies even though no one else cares about her. He did direct Corpse Bride and Big Fish this decade, but Corpse Bride didn’t catch on as it looked like a wanna-be version of The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he helped make) and neither did Big Fish which he didn’t even write himself. Next on his plate will be Frankenweenie. It’s a full-length adaptation of his own short film from 25 years ago. Someone has truly run out of ideas.
